MiniVan Pt III Home Sweet Home With The Wrong Man
by spacegypsy1
Summary: Part III of Mini Van baby fic series.... Jack stays to take care of Vala, while SG1 remains missing.


**Mini Van - Part Three: Home Sweet Home With the Wrong Man**

Carolyn took Vala off of active duty and insisted she stay at home. It hadn't been an easy decision. Delivery would have to be here on base considering all the extenuating circumstances. However, Carolyn felt Vala needed to get away. Either place would be full of memories and sadness, but here they often found Vala sitting in the control room until all hours of the night. Carolyn rubbed her tired neck. God! She hated this job!

"She'll be fine."

Carolyn looked up to see General Landry in the doorway.

"Stuck in that house with General O'Neill? Are you sure?" She smiled at her father.

"Good point. How about dinner?"

"Sounds good."

---

"I don't want to have this baby without Daniel. My due date's in two weeks and it could be anytime now. I won't do it. I have to wait. He has to be here."

Jack had returned from the bedroom where he'd gotten the absolutely last pillow in the house to prop behind her on the couch. Vala looked like the Pillsbury Dough Boy in her white bathrobe and all those white covered pillows billowing around her. His eyes crinkled with a grin.

"What's so funny?" She snapped.

"Nothin'. I was just wondering how you were going to accomplish that if little bit there wants to come on out."

Vala burst into tears and Jack squeezed his head in frustration. "For cryin' out loud! You're a wreck. Look," he sat beside her, "there's a little chatter out there," he waved his hand out towards the sky. "Nothing concrete, I didn't want to tell you and get your hopes up. We've got Reynolds team and three back up units hunting it down. Maybe something will turn up."

Vala wiped at the tears with the backs of her hands. "Thank you for telling me. There is hope, isn't there Jack?"

"There's always hope. You hungry?" Jack got up from the couch and headed into the kitchen.

"Does a cat have an a…"

"Miss Mal Doran, such language! And you, a pregnant lady."

"I get it from spending too much time with you." Vala made several attempts at standing up.

"Ach! Stay put. I'll cook."

"You don't cook, you char meat."

"I can cook. Just you wait and see."

She watched him from the couch as he piddled around in Daniel's kitchen. "You miss her as much as I miss him, and I keep being selfish. I forget that sometimes."

He turned to look at her. "I miss them all."

With a disgusted sigh she looked away, "Oh stop it. We're too invested in this friendship of ours to lie to one another. You love her. You're miserable…" Vala started to cry all over again. When Jack started towards her Vala held up her hand, "don't, just cook and lie to yourself. That's fine with me."

In the doorway between kitchen and living room Jack stood, spatula in hand, "Ok. I sorta lied. You happy now?"

"Yes. I'm happy and I'm hungry. Don't burn it though, because I don't really feel too well and it might make me sick."

Later, sitting at the table, Vala cried into her salad. Jack was lost. He didn't have a clue as to what he could say. He poured her a half glass of red wine. "Here drink this, Dr. Lam said you could."

Vala took the glass and set it untouched on the table. "It's such a lovely dinner. Here we are, a solicitous handsome man taking care of an emotional pregnant women, a pretty dinner table. Perfectly prepared food; a bottle of wine. Oh my god! It should be him, Jack! It should be Daniel, not you!"

When she stood suddenly he was on his feet taking her in his arms and hugging her. "If I could trade places with him I would, you know that." While he held her tenderly, morbid thoughts whirled around in his head, _What if they never make it back? What are we going to do then? Raise a baby with two miserable parents? An inconsolable space pirate for a mother and a crotchety old general for a surrogate father? Poor little thing was doomed before it even was born._ Jack laid his head on the top of Vala's and let her cry.

---

Sitting on the filthy floor, face to face, mere inches apart through a space between two bars, Sam and Daniel talked, their voices low, meant just for each other.

"Daniel, Jack will take care of her."

"I know, I'm sure he's with her now. She'll drive him nuts." He managed a weak smile.

Through the space she took one of his hands and squeezed it. "And he will drive her nuts. But he'll be a big help, he'll take care of her."

"And if we don't make it back?"

"He will stay with her, with them I'm sure of that."

"Wow, my child raised by Jack O'Neil."

"He's had a child. I'm sure he's an excellent father."

"Oh, I have no doubt about that, I wouldn't want anyone else being a surrogate father to my child. It's just such a bizarre thought. Vala and Jack living together."

"And … Daniel, if we don't make it back… they may…"

"Stay together, maybe have another child?"

"Possibly."

"Not a bad thing, not really, not if I'm dead, not if I can't be with her."

"Just weird. After long years of being together -and he will stay, you know that - they would naturally move in that direction." A small sob escaped Sam, "because neither of them would want to move on without the other." Sam let go of his hand, turning her back to the bars, her head resting against the metal, tears running unheeded.

"Uh huh. Because of us. It's their connection to us." Moisture collected slowly in the corner of Daniel's eyes. No, not a bad thing. But sad just the same. Using a grimy sleeve Daniel wiped at his eyes and stood to pace.

"Jackson, if you don't stop moping around our very small and dirty cell, I am going to kill you." Mitchell came out of a damp, dark area across the cell.

"I missed the wedding. Now I'm missing the birth. Just back off Mitchell!"

"Not that you had a choice, Jackson, you seem to keep forgetting that." Cam's voice held no sympathy.

Sam stood at the bars between the two cells, hers and Teal'c's and Daniel's and Mitchell's. "Are you sure, I mean about missing the birth?"

"Indeed," Teal'c answered for Daniel, "ValaMalDoran is scheduled to deliver her child soon. There is the possibility that she has already done so."

Daniel buried his head in his hands then looked up at Mitchell. "You just had to do it didn't you? You had to argue with them, had to see for yourself. Let's all go with the nice alien man to his ship and see what else he's got. You couldn't wait for back up; nobody even knew we were on that ship. Nobody's coming to rescue us since we're a trillion miles from that planet, and the locals on that planet didn't even understand their own Stargate. We've been here four months and not a one of us has a clue as to who these people – if you want to call them that – are." Daniel was right in Mitchell's face.

Mitchell didn't back down. "You saw what he had! You were as anxious as I was to get your hands on it, probably more since it was Ancient! Don't blame me, Jackson! That damned artifact had Merlin written all over it! And you know it!" Cam shoved Daniel with the heel of his hand.

Daniel shoved him back and the two started scuffling.

As Teal'c approached the bars, Sam held up her hand to stop him. "Don't bother; you know as well as I do they're going to fight it out again. They both feel guilty. Nothing we can do and I'm tired of tryi…." Her mouth dropped open in complete surprise. Reynolds stood, hands on hips and grinning at the door to the other cell. He turned to Sam and Teal'c, put a finger to his lips and shook his head.

---

Vala woke the next morning to a horrendous back ache. Struggling to get out of bed she moaned and stretched her back. She waddled down the hall to the bathroom, managed to shower and dress and then one hand on her back and the other on her belly she shuffled into the kitchen.

Placing one hand on the counter to steady herself Vala cried out as her stomach contracted painfully then subsided as quickly as it came. "Jack?" He didn't answer. Hand still at the small of her back where it continued to ache she searched the patio, then listened at the bathroom door. "Jack?" No answer. Down the hall she went, stopping half way, hand braced on the wall when another contraction hit her. Breathing through her nose and out her mouth with little he he hes she managed to get to the door of the guest room. "Jack!?"

Not a sound. She opened the door to find him sprawled face down, head under the pillow, in his T-shirt and boxers. "JACK!?"

He shot up, hands flying out and feet tangling in the sheet and fell flat on the floor. "Son of a bitch!" He stood, picked up the phone and pressed the number. While Vala stood in the doorway moaning, he had the phone held between shoulder and head as he pulled on his Air Force sweet pants. "Carolyn, we're on our way!" He disconnected and tossed the phone on the bed, took Vala's arm and rushed her out of the house and into the car.

Neither of them heard the phones ringing. The house phone, and both Vala's and Jack's cell phones.

"Just breathe, we'll be fine… I mean you'll be fine. I've been here before, remember?"

Vala nodded, eyes wide, breathing little he he hes. "Oh god! Jack!"

He started patting his body looking for his cell phone. Damn, he'd left it! "Hand me your cell phone." Jack thrust his hand out palm up.

"I don't have it!" he he he he he.

"Son of a bitch!" The speedometer was nearing 70MPH.

"Slow down, you're making me dizzy." He he he he.

"I'll slow down when you slow down!" He was being careful, but he was going too fast just the same.

---

Carolyn hung the phone up. "No one's answering at the house."

"And neither one of them is answering their cell phones!" Landry heard the sirens start to blare right before "Incoming wormhole" was shouted through the speakers.

"I'll be in the Gateroom, waiting for them!" He yelled running out.

"I'll be waiting for her!" Carolyn yelled back. She wanted to cry. Daniel was coming back just in time for the baby. Sam and Teal'c were coming back. Ah, and Cam. Cam was coming back! God! She loved this job!

---

They got stopped at the guard gate, for cryin' out loud! "I swear I'll have your stripes if you don't open that goddamned gate right now!" Jack yelled at the poor man.

He squealed tires pulling off and raced as far into the mountain as he could, coming to a screeching halt. Carolyn was rushing out the door just as Jack was helping Vala from the car. "They're here! They're here!" She was yelling and both Jack and Vala thought she meant them.

With her team Carolyn whisked Vala along, Jack right beside her. Vala reached for his hand and he took it and smiled nervously. She looked miserable and not from the labor. God, he hated this. Here he was playing surrogate father for a friend he may never see again with a woman, his friend, who was so brokenhearted he could read it clearly in her eyes.

When he looked at her again, the tears were rolling from the corners of her eyes into the sheets of to the gurney. "I'm here. We'll be fine."

"Oh, it's just wonderful!" Carolyn's happy voice startled Jack. "Everyone's here, isn't it wonderful?"

He looked at Vala, "Yes, it is wonderful, Vala. A baby. A Daniel and Vala baby."

And she smiled into his big brown eyes.

---

Daniel used every curse word that Jack knew and then some as they rushed him toward the infirmary for his post-mission exam.

Landry had filled him in. Then running down the hall with Daniel, Landry told him, in no uncertain terms, that he would have to be cleared before he would be allowed in the delivery room.

Daniel understood, but he still continued his tirade all the way into the infirmary. He looked around searching.

"They're not here Dr. Jackson," the nurse told him. "Dr. Lam has them in the isolation room just to be safe. Let's get you through this as soon as possible. One of the other doctors will be right in. I'll draw some blood and get it to the lab; they're waiting and will rush it as best they can. We want to be safe. Okay?"

---

When they rolled her into the isolation/delivery room and started hooking up monitors and changing her into a gown, Jack let go of her hand to leave.

"Stay, please. I need you." Vala reached out for Jack.

Before Jack could answer a voice came over the microphone. "I'm here sweetheart."

Both Jack and Vala said, "Daniel!" at the same time and both looked up into the observation booth. There he stood, grinning like the fool he was with Mitchell, Teal'c and Sam standing close behind him.

"Well it's about time!" Jack hollered up to him in agitation, "Get your sorry ass down here!"

"I can't - not for a few more minutes. I'm waiting on the final blood work before they'll let me in there." He paused, "Jack, stay with her will you? Until I get there?"

"Sure, yabetcha buddy! I'm not going anywhere."

Vala and Daniel locked eyes and held them, while Jack held Vala's hand and Sam held Daniel's hand.

Carolyn looked up, "Her contractions have slowed, Daniel, we have some time."

Daniel nodded, still looking at Vala. Sam had her eyes locked with Jack's. Carolyn looked up again and waved at Cam who waved back, then stuck his hands in his pockets and cleared his throat. Teal'c had his hands locked behind his back and a big smile on his face.

The door opened and all Landry had to do was nod at Daniel. He sprinted out at a full run. They stopped him at the door to the delivery room and made him don a sterile gown and wash his hands. Once done, he raced to the side of her bed. He kissed her like he'd never kissed her before. A kiss of love, joy, passion, longing and fear.

The minute Daniel hit the side of the bed, Jack dashed out and ran as fast as he could into the observation booth. He grabbed Carter, pulled her into his arms and lip locked her a big one! "You have got to get a civilian job. You can never go through that… that… that orifice again! I can't take it anymore; I'm getting too old for this. I don't care if the whole freakin' frackin' frickin' frelling' world blows up!"

Mitchell threw up his hands, "I'm outta here." And he left the room with Teal'c right behind him. Cam headed for the Gate control room and Teal'c veered off towards the mess hall.

"Hey, you're not getting in the pool?" Mitchell called.

Teal'c looked back over his shoulder, one brow raised, the shadow of a smile on his lips. "There is no pool in Cheyenne Mountain."

"Harriman's pool. You know. Boy. Girl. Time, weight and all that baby stuff. It's big, but I heard not as big as the one General Landry won."

"What was that … pool?" Teal'c turned around and joined Mitchell.

"Whether or not Jackson would make it back in time."

"I see. Perhaps I will accompany you and place my wager on the baby."

---

"Daniel?" General Landry placed a hand on Daniel's shoulder.

Blinking awake he looked up from his chair beside the bed. "General?"

"It took us a while but we found what you requested."

Daniel looked over at Vala who was sleeping for the moment and then turned fully around looking disoriented. "Huh?"

Landry indicated the Air Force Captain who stood beside him. "A Chaplin with high enough security clearance. This is Chaplin Jennifer Parks."

The Chaplin smiled and shook Daniel's hand. "Dr. Jackson, I believe I have arrived just in time."

"Yeah. Thank you," Daniel stood and gently touched Vala's cheek. "Hey, wake up sleepyhead."

Vala's eyes fluttered open. "Daniel?"

"We've got a Chaplin." He grinned at her confused expression. "To marry us. I know it's not the Elvis Chapel in Vegas but…." Vala took a handful of his hair and pulled him into a kiss.

"Well, I guess that's a yes." The Chaplin moved to the other side of the bed and began.

---

A crying baby. What a miraculous sound. Daniel held the little one all swathed in blankets. Tears stung his eyes as he brought the baby and placed it in Vala's arms. Together they pulled the blankets apart and peered at its tiny perfect body. They both laughed and cried together, and kissed. They kissed the baby. And kissed again. "I love you, Mrs. Jackson." Daniel told Vala. "I love you too, Mr. Mal Doran." She teased.

---

"I don't like Valarie Claire, I don't like the Valarie part." Vala peeked over the seat at the sleeping baby.

"It's like Vala…"

"Nope, don't like it, Daniel. What about Jacqueline Claire?"

"Are you kidding! I am not naming my daughter after Jack! NO WAY!"

"But he was there for me… for us."

"I know, but - not going to happen. How about Cheyenne, Cheyenne Claire?" Daniel watched Vala from the corner of his eye.

"Hmmm. I like Cheyenne… what about Cheyenne Jacque…."

"Stop it with the Jack! Holy cow! What will people think!"

Vala burst out laughing and baby Jackson whimpered for a moment and settled back into a dreamy baby sleep. "Daniel! you scared her, poor little thing!" Vala's whisper was seethed in frayed anger.

"Sorry," he whispered contrite.

Vala stared at the baby in the back seat. "Daniel, what if we can't name her?"

"We will."

"Danielle. Danielle Cheyenne Jackson!" Vala brought her hands, cupped, to her chest.

His head was shaking no, but he was grinning, "Danielle Vala Jackson?"

"Absolutely not! You can't name a baby that! You may as well name her Jacqueline Samantha! or Cameron Carolyn, or Teal'c Istha… "

He was laughing so hard he could barely speak. "Ok. Danielle….not bad."

"I like Cheyenne too – it's strong like the mountain." Vala reached across and placed a hand on his leg.

"We'll see." He placed a hand over hers.

Baby girl Jackson began to fuss as her parents pulled away from Cheyenne Mountain in a bright red mini van with a bumper sticker on the back that said, "My other car is a Porsche."

END!

A/N: Writing without my betas would be like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute! It can be done, but could be quite messy!!! Thanks to the perfect trio Mari, Sam and Aly, for inspirations, for catching all those silly typos (except possibly the ones I snuck in after you betaed) For pushing me forward and pulling me back - for being there when I needed you and for being … well …. So damned good! Thanks. B


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